Timing mechanism for washing machines and like equipment



March 31, 1964 G. A. COOK TIMING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND LIKE EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15. 1960 \NEWN Ill/l 57/4714: c

INVENTOR GEOFFREY A. (100! G. A. COOK 3,126,759 TIMING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND LIKE EQUIPMENT March 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1960 INVENTOR GEOFFREY A. (100K United States Patent 3,126,759 TIMING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND LIKE EQUIPMENT Geoffrey Alfred Cook, Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia, assignor, by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micla, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 15, 1960, SenNo. 43,243 Claims priority, application Australia July 15, 1959 12 Claims. (Cl. 74-568) This invention relates to timing mechanism for controlling the operation of automatic clothes washing machines of the type which include provision for washing, rinsing and drying the articles being laundered without requiring further manual attention once the laundering cycle has commenced.

More particularly the invention concerns that type of timing mechanism which includes an intermittently rotatable drive shaft having means for power driving it in one direction only and a series of cams and associated electrical contacts adapted to be operated by cam followers engaging said cams in predetermined sequence during rotation of the shaft.

It is well recognized that certain fabrics should preferably be washed for different periods of time in order to avoid shrinkage or other possible damage thereto but existing automatic washing machines have not previously included mechanism for varying the actual Washing period of the laundering cycle in accordance with requirements except by manual resetting of the controls after the machine has commenced operations.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide improved timing mechanism for the purpose indicated which enables the user to preselect the actual washing period before actually setting the machine in motion. The new or improved timing mechanism is of relatively simple design and construction in that it involves the use of a minimum number of moving parts which are normally not likely to get out of order or require frequent maintenance.

Various other objects and novel constructional features of the improved timing mechanism will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description which refers by way of example to the application of the timing mechanism to an automatic washing machine.

In accordance with the present invention, timing mechanism of the kind indicated is characterised in that one or more of said cams is or are manually adjustable so as to vary the time during which the associated electrical contacts are closed by the related cam follower, each said adjustable cam including a fast disc connected to said shaft and a loose disc thereon and which are spring coupled in such a manner that they are normally urged apart Whilst relative rotary movement therebetween is yieldingly opposed, said fast and loose discs being provided with disengageable driving connections and means for limiting relative rotary movement therebetween, said fast and loose discs also having opposed shoulders one on each of said discs which are relatively movable circumferentially and adapted to provide an ad justable time gap therebetween which is traversed by a cam follower and means for manually effecting relative rotary movement between said fast and loose discs and thereupon engaging their driving connections so as to predetermine the effective length of said time gap in accordance with requirements.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of timing mechanism in accordance with the present invention, parts being omitted for convenience of illustration.

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FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of some of the parts seen in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale, of a pair of fixed and movable discs and parts associated therewith which form an adjustable cam in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is an end view on a reduced scale, of the parts seen in FIGURE 4 showing the discs adjusted to provide a minimum washing period.

FIGURE 5 is a view looking at the reverse side of the parts seen in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an end view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the fast and loose discs adjusted to provide a maximum washing period.

FIGURE 7 is a view looking at the reverse side of the parts seen in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a detail showing the fast and loose discs in driving engagement and also their associated cam follower.

According to the present invention, the improved timing mechanism includes a skeleton supporting frame which may include a plurality of longitudinal frame members 2. connected at their opposite ends to end plates or the like 3 which are fitted with coaligned bearings for a rotatable drive shaft 4.

The latter is adapted to be power driven from an auxiliary electric motor 5 and the driving connections include means whereby the drive shaft is capable of longitudinal movement in its bearings by being pushed or pulled by the operator as hereinafter described.

Retaining means are provided for yieldingly holding the drive shaft in either an operative or inoperative position as desired. Such retaining means may consist of a substantially U-shaped spring detent 6 carried for example by one of the end plates so as to partly encircle the drive shaft which has a plurality of longitudinally spaced circumferential grooves 7 formed therein for the reception of the opposed spring legs of the spring detent.

The drive shaft and the parts carried thereby are adapted to rotate in one direction only such for example, as in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front of the timing mechanism. For this purpose, the drive shaft may be fitted with pawl and ratchet mechanism. For instance, the shaft may be fitted with a ratchet wheel 8 engaging a spring influenced pawl 9 on one of the afore said end plates.

As usual, the drive shaft is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced cams it having electrical contacts 11 associated therewith and which are wired in circuit with the rest of the washing machine mechanism so as to actuate in turn the filling and washing mechanism, the rinsing mechanism and finally the drying mechanism of the machine. These contacts are usually actuated by spring plates or the like 12 forming cam followers adapted to engage lobes on the cams carried by the rotary drive shaft.

As previously mentioned, the present invention is primarily concerned with that part of the timing mechanism which controls the operation of the washing mechanism in the machine. In this case, the electrical contacts associated with the Washing mechanism are adapted to be actuated by an adjustable cam 13 which is carried by the drive shaft and capable of being manually adjusted in such a manner as to vary the eifective length of the cam lobe or lobes thereon which determine the length of the washing period.

This adjustable cam consists of a fast disc 14 and a loose disc 15 which are mounted upon the drive shaft and spring coupled in such a manner that the spring normally urges the discs apart and at the same time yieldingly opposes relative circumferential movement therebetween. Such a spring coupling may consist of a coiled spring 16 encircling the drive shaft between the fast and loose discs as seen more clearly in FIGURE 2 and connected at its opposite ends in any suitable manner to the fast and loose discs respectively.

In order that the fast and loose discs may be rotated in unison by the drive shaft they are provided with disengageable driving connections which may consist of opposed circular rows of ratchet teeth 17 on the inner faces of the two discs. The pitch of these rows of teeth is preferably either the same or a multiple of the pitch of the aforesaid ratchet wheel 8 so as to facilitate manual engagement of the teeth as hereinafter described.

In addition to the foregoing, means are provided for limiting relative rotary movement between the fast and loose discs. For this purpose, one of the discs may be provided with a laterally projecting pin 18 forming a limit stop which is accommodated in a part circular gap or slot 19 formed in the opposite disc. Circumferentially spaced shoulders 21 are thus provided at the opposite ends of the gap or slot which are adapted to be engaged by the limit stop and thus restrict relative rotary movement between the fast and loose discs.

The cam follower 12a associated with the adjustable cam may be of extended width so as to engage the peripheral edge portions of the fast and loose discs. Alternatively, the cam follower may be mounted clear of the fast disc for example and be provided with a laterally projecting and relatively wider arm 23 adapted to overlie and engage the edge portions of both discs.

Hitherto, the cam for controlling the fill and washing period has usually been provided with two circumferentially spaced cam lobes with a time gap therebetween of fixed length. When the associated cam follower enters this gap, the washing operation commences and continues until the cam follower is engaged by the lobe at the opposite end of the gap. The washing period is thus necessarily of a fixed duration.

In accordance with the present invention, however, provision is made for operating the machine on a minimum as well as a maximum wash period whilst in addition the wash period is capable of being varied between such minimum and maximum time limits as desired. In order to give effect to such adjustment, the time gap 26 in the periphery of the adjustable cam is bounded by a cam lobe 27 on the loose disc 15 and another cam lobe 28 on the fast disc 14 so that by relatively rotating the discs and then interengaging their teeth 17 in the desired operative position the effective length of the time gap 26 between the associated lobes may be increased or reduced as desired and thus increase or reduce the time during which the associated follower arm 23 will be traversing the time gap and consequently predetermine the washing period.

The length of the aforesaid part circular gap or slot 19 in the loose disc has the effect of predetermining the maxi mum and minimum wash periods in that when the limit stop 18 on the fast disc engages the shoulder 21 at one end of the gap the distance between the co-operating lobes 27, 28 on the loose and fast discs is such as to provide a minimum wash period as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. On the other hand when the limit stop engages the other shoulder at the opposite end of its associated gap the effective distance between the associated lobes on the fast and loose discs is increased to its maximum as in FIGURES 6 and 7 and thus provides for the maximum washing period.

Any suitable time between such maximum and minimum wash periods may be selected. For example, the aforesaid spring coupling 16 may have the effect of bolding the limit stop 18 in engagement with that end of its associated gap which provides for the maximum washing period. Any relative adjustment between the fast and loose discs will thus be yieldingly opposed by the spring.

In order to effect the last mentioned adjustment the outer end of the drive shaft is provided with a knob or hand grip 31,

In use, when the washing machine is inoperative, the timer drive shaft 4 is stationary and the fast and loose discs 14, 15 are disengaged. The operator turns the shaft by the knob 31 until the desired washing period has been selected as shown by graduations on the scale whereupon the knob is then pulled outwardly with the result that the shaft is moved lengthwise in such a manner as to effect engagement between the aforesaid rows of teeth 17. Such longitudinal movement of the shaft is also adapted to close the contacts of a main switch 32 for energizing the auxiliary electric motor of the machine.

When such manual adjustments have been completed the desired amount of water automatically flows into the washing tub or the like and the washing operation is carried out for the preselected period.

The desired relative movement between the fast and loose discs 14, 15 may be manually effected as aforesaid as the associated cam follower arm 23 is in engagement with the slightly projecting lobe 27 on the loose disc and thus yieldingly prevents the latter from rotating simultaneously with the fast disc.

Provision is made for effecting lengthwise movement of the drive shaft so as to automatically disengage the teeth on the fast and loose discs 14, 15 and open the main current supply contacts 32 thus resetting the timer switch mechanism in preparedness for commencing another machine cycle by repetition of the preselecting and starting operations previously described. For this purpose, a ramp or the like 36 may be provided on one of the end Walls 3 of the frame so as to engage a projecting pin 37 or shoulder on the drive shaft and thus cause the desired lengthwise movement thereof when these parts come into engagement.

As usual means are provided for delivering to the washing tub a suitable supply of Water prior to commencement of the washing operation. Such inflowing water may be measured by volume or by timing the period of the inflow. If the last mentioned means are employed the leading lobe 27 on the loose disc 15 for example, may be of predetermined length so as to provide for the desired inflow of water whilst the cam follower is traversing this lobe.

In order to prevent undesirable lengthwise movement of the loose disc 15 on the rotary shaft during adjustment of the associated fixed disc, any suitable means are provided for engaging that side of the loose disc remote from the fixed disc. For this purpose the adjacent end plate of the supporting frame may carry a plurality of screws or the like 33 adapted to abuttingly engage the adjacent face of the loose disc as seen more clearly in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

It will, of course, also be understood that instead of providing a variable time gap 26 between circumferentially spaced lobes on the fast and loose discs 14, 15 as aforesaid, the time gap may be replaced by adjustable overlying lobes (not shown) on the fast and loose discs with part circular gaps at the opposite ends of the respective lobes. In this case the washing operations would be carried out whilst the cam follower was traversing the associated adjustable lobes on the fast and loose discs instead of traversing a gap as aforesaid.

Various other alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the ambit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Improved timing mechanism for clothes washing machines and like equipment comprising in combination, a rotatable, longitudinally shiftable shaft having. cams thereon, cam followers arranged to engage said cams so as to be actuated thereby, electrical contacts movable in response to movement of said cam followers, means whereby one or more of said cams is or are manually adjustable so as to vary the time during which the associated electrical contacts are closed by the related cam follower, each said adjustable cam including a fast disc connected to said shaft and a loose disc thereon and which are spring coupled in such a manner that they are normally urged apart whilst relative rotary movement therebetween is yieldingly opposed, said fast and loose discs being provided with disengageable driving connections and means for limiting relative rotary movement therebetween, said fast and loose discs also having opposed shoulders one on each of said discs which are relatively movable circumferentially and adapted to provide an adjustable time gap therebetween which is traversed by a cam follower, and means including said shaft for manually effecting relative rotary movement between said fast and loose discs and thereupon engaging their driving connections.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said up posed shoulders on said fast and loose discs are formed by a laterally projecting lobe on said fast disc and another laterally projecting lobe on said loose disc, said adjustable time gap being formed between the opposed edges of said lobes.

3. improved timing mechanism for clothes washing machines and like equipment comprising in combination, a rotatable, longitudinally shiftable shaft having cams thereon, cam followers arranged to engage said cams so as to be actuated thereby, electrical contacts movable in response to movement of said cam followers, means whereby one or more of said cams is or are manually adjustable so as to vary the time during which the associated electrical contacts are closed by the related cam follower, each said adjustable cam including a fast disc connected to said shaft and a loose disc thereon and which are spring coupled in such a manner that they are normally urged apart whilst relative rotary movement therebetween is yieldingly opposed, said fast and loose dies being provided with disengageable driving connections and means for limiting relative rotary movement therebetween, each said fast and loose disc being provided with a laterally projecting lobe which lobes are capable of overlying each other and are relatively movable circumferentially so as to form an adjustable time track on the edges of said associated lobes along which the related cam follower is adapted to track, the length of said track determining the time of the washing or like period.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with means operatively connected to said shaft for automatically disengaging said driving connections.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with means for temporarily restraining rotary movement of said loose disc whilst the fast disc is being manually rotated in relation thereto.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with manually operable means for effecting longitudinal movement of said shaft for effecting engagement between the driving connections on said fast and loose discs and retaining means for yieldingly holding said shaft in its operative and inoperative positions.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said spring coupling consists of a coiled spring encircling said drive shaft between the fast and loose discs and being connected at one end to said fast disc and at its opposite end to said loose disc.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said driving connections consist of opposed circular rows of teeth on the opposed inner faces of said fast and loose discs, each row of teeth being of ratchet like formation so as to drive in one direction only.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said drive shaft is also fitted with a ratchet wheel adapted to be engaged by a pawl on a supporting frame for said drive shaft so as to ensure that the latter is driven in one direction only, the pitch of said rows of teeth being the same or a multiple of the pitch of the teeth on said ratchet wheel.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for limiting relative rotary movement between said fast and loose discs consists of a laterally projecting pin on one of said discs and a part circular gap or slot in the other disc and which is adapted to accommodate said pin which functions as a limit stop.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said 0pposed shoulders are formed by part circular gaps in said fast and loose discs.

12. Improved timing mechanism for clothes washing machines and like equipment comprising in combination, a rotatable, longitudinally shiftable shaft having cams thereon, cam followers arranged to engage said cams so as to be actuated thereby, electrical contacts movable in response to movement of said cam followers, means whereby one or more of said cams is or are manually adjustable so as to vary the time during which the associated electrical contacts are closed by the related cam follower, each said adjustable cam including a fast disc connected to said shaft and a loose disc thereon and which are spring coupled by a coiled spring encircling said drive shaft between the fast and loose discs and being connected at one end to said fast disc and'at its opposite end to said loose disc, opposed circular rows of ratchet like teeth on the inner faces of said fast and loose discs to provide a disengageable driving connection therebetween, a projecting pin or shoulder on said drive shaft and a ramp on a supporting frame of said drive shaft for automatically disengaging said driving connection, manually operable means including said shaft for effecting longitudinal movement of said shaft for engaging said driving connections and retaining means for yieldingly holding the shaft in its operative and inoperative positions, a laterally projecting pin on one of said discs and a part circular gap or slot in the other disc and which is adapted to accommodate said pin, each said fast and loose discs being provided with a laterally projecting lobe adapted to form opposed shoulders, one on each said disc, which shoulders are relatively movable circumferentially and adapted to provide an adjustable time gap therebetween which is traversed by a cam follower, said manually operable means for effecting longitudinal movement of said shaft being also adapted to effect relative rotary movement between said fast and loose discs and to engage the opposed teeth thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,852,957 Breitenstein Sept. 23, 1958 2,868,026 Finehout et al. Jan. 13, 1959 3,033,949 Hehl May 8, 1962 3,053,947 Bowman Sept. 11, 1962 

1. IMPROVED TIMING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES AND LIKE EQUIPMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A ROTATABLE, LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE SHAFT HAVING CAMS THEREON, CAM FOLLOWERS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE SAID CAMS SO AS TO BE ACTUATED THEREBY, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM FOLLOWERS, MEANS WHEREBY ONE OR MORE OF SAID CAMS IS OR ARE MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE SO AS TO VARY THE TIME DURING WHICH THE ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ARE CLOSED BY THE RELATED CAM FOLLOWER, EACH SAID ADJUSTABLE CAM INCLUDING A FAST DISC CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT AND A LOOSE DISC THEREON AND WHICH ARE SPRING COUPLED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY ARE NORMALLY URGED APART WHILST RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN IS YIELDINGLY OPPOSED, SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS BEING PROVIDED WITH DISENGAGEABLE DRIVING CONNECTIONS AND MEANS FOR LIMITING RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS ALSO HAVING OPPOSED SHOULDERS ONE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS WHICH ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AN ADJUSTABLE TIME GAP THEREBETWEEN WHICH IS TRAVERSED BY A CAM FOLLOWER, AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID SHAFT FOR MANUALLY EFFECTING RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS AND THEREUPON ENGAGING THEIR DRIVING CONNECTIONS. 